AUS vs WI: “Steve Smith Has Won So Many Games For Australia While Batting At No. 4”-AB De Villiers Disagrees With Steve Smith Opening In The Test

The news that star batsman Steve Smith was amenable to moving up the batting order for Australia in place of retired opener David Warner perplexed former South African legendary cricketer AB de Villiers. Australia announced their squad on January 10 for the two-match test series against the West Indies. It will be a tough task for Steve Smith to tackle the new ball as he has been a middle order batter since the last decade or so.

As George Bailey said, Steve Smith will take over at the top of the order for the first time in his 14-year Test career as it is confirmed that Green replaces Warner as the sole player out of the starting XI. Last week, the former captain of Australia expressed his desire to step up and take over Warner’s place.

For the Test match against the West Indies, the Australian team announced that Smith and Usman Khawaja will open the batting. De Villiers, though, believes that Smith didn’t need to alter anything that wasn’t working because the man is one of the greatest in Test history at No. 4.

Where has he got the most success in the past ten years- Ab de Villiers on Steve Smith opening in the test

Steve Smith has scored 5966 runs with an average of 61.50 in 111 innings with 19 centuries and 26 half-centuries while batting at No. 4 in his test career, which means he has scored 62.70% of his test career runs when he was batting at No. 4.

Here’s what AB de Villiers said in a video on his YouTube channel regarding the possibility of Steve Smith opening in the test cricket.

“I don’t know if I agree with this (Smith opening). Where has he got the most success in the past ten years and the highest average of all batters in the past ten years? He has won so many games for Australia. When bowlers pick up 2-3 early wickets, they still know they have to get past Steve Smith, or else he will win the game for his side,” de Villiers explained (13:43).

Steve Smith was playing an integral part of holding the Australian middle order together- AB de Villiers

Steve Smith will have to face the new ball as the Test opener and occasionally take the pressure off him when the ball is hooping around early on. According to AB de Villiers, if Smith loses his wicket in these circumstances, he will no longer be able to stop a collapse and bat deep when early wicket fall.

“Smith has a big match temperament. But now if you throw him up the order, suddenly he gets two good nuts and two ducks, he is suddenly not playing an integral part of the glue holding the Australian middle order together. I wouldn’t agree with that, but it is up to Cricket Australia to make the decision,” he added (14:15).

Australia will probably put Cameron Green at No. 4, where he excelled for Western Australia recently in the Sheffield Shield, with Smith slated to open the batting.

Also Read: AUS vs WI: “I Don’t See David Warner As A Great Of The Game”- John Buchanan’s Interesting Claim On The Dashing Batter